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May - June 2016 Newsletter

PRESIDENT'S LETTER

On behalf of the PMANC board I want to thank all of those who helped make our 2016 Showcase a great event!

A successful PMANC event requires participation from all parties and we had tremendous support from both Distributor and Supplier volunteers. We had great feedback from attendees who felt the effort and enthusiasm that was put into the event.

And, we want to acknowledge and sincerely thank SanMar for the fantastic seminar and breakfast they hosted at Showcase. SanMar has always been a true supporter of our events and we are extremely grateful.

One of PMANC’s primary goals is to support opportunities for professional growth and SanMar’s seminar really helped us deliver that to attendees. Positive feedback from attendees was tremendous (thanks to the fantastic content and delivery from Holly Rox and the SanMar team) and it really showed how interested Distributors are in opportunities for continuing education that is on-point. PMANC has taken note of this and are working on additional “Pro-D” opportunities for you.

Also, we had several sponsors who helped us with the “fun factor” including: Ariel Premiums, Hit Promo and Sweda who brought us the Photo Booth. And, many others who sponsored golf gifts and amenities and other items that enhanced the event: THANK YOU!

Now we’re on to our Summer & Fall events and campaigns:

On Thursday 6/30 we’ll be getting a fun group together for 2nd Annual PMANC Battle of the Bay event watching A’s v Giants in Oakland with some gourmet tailgating before the game.

We have a few tickets left so let us know if you’re interested!

Stay Tuned for details on our “#CleanSweepPMANC” campaign where we’ll work to put those unused samples into the hands of community groups that need them.

Our Volunteers are working on this now -- If you’d like to help just let us know.

Holiday Showcase at Wente will be Wednesday 9/21 in Livermore.

This is a very popular event and this year, we’ll have an Professional Development session as well. Details to follow.

What would you like to see PMANC work on next? We’re planning our fall campaigns and events now.

We welcome your ideas on how we can offer more opportunities to network, be involved in the community, learn and have fun. If you want to join us, we’ll find the perfect project for you!

Cristina

MEMBER NEWS

New Board Member

We have added a new member to our board. Kenny Ved. Kenny is the Vice President of Sales for Goldstar Pens and has been with the company for 15 years. He lives in San Francisco with his two children, Jay and Alyssa, and their rescue dog, Milo.

Kenny is a devoted father to Jay and Alyssa. Jay is an 18 year old high school senior and is getting ready for college. Alyssa is 11 years old and in fifth grade. In his spare time, Kenny helps coach his daughter’s soccer and basketball teams and volunteers at her school.

Sports are Kenny’s passion and it’s no surprise that his favorite teams are the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants and San Francisco 49ers. The League on Netflix is his favorite TV series. He also enjoys playing basketball himself. Kenny is an avid traveler for business and pleasure. His favorite destinations so far are Caribbean Islands & Hawaii. Kenny is a big foodie as well – his favorite foods are Indian, Mexican & Sushi.

In Memoriam

We are deeply saddened to share the news that Ilene Marshall's husband, John, passed away on Monday March 28. John fought a long and courageous battle.

Ilene asked me to share this news with her friends in PMANC. I know that we all share in her loss.

DUES

I'm sure many of you have noticed that you have not receieved invoices for your dues. With the switch over to a new executive director, a new website and a new Showcase location, billing has slipped thru the cracks. We will be sending out notices by way of our website. Please bear with us as we get this process going. Thank you for your patience.

SPONSOR

Showcase Expo 2016

Northern California’s biggest industry trade show and event took Monterey by storm this past April 20-21, albeit in very nice weather. The event kicked off formally with the annual scramble golf tournament which was held at Pacific Grove Golf Links. Over 44 golfers were treated to incredibly mild and sunny weather as they carted around the course, enjoying their goodie bags, to-go lunches and the ever-popular beverage cart which roamed from group to group, rendering liquid relief for those struggling at the game. The course known affectionately as “poor man’s Pebble Beach” allowed all the golfers to enjoy unobstructed panoramic views of the ocean from several of the final 7 holes.

The kick-off party and fashion show followed at the Hyatt Regency Monterey. Setting the stage with a raffle, golf team awards, a fantastic fresh taco/burrito bar, photo booth, cocktails and camaraderie over a dozen lively industry favorites strutted the catwalk wearing the latest in industry fashion. It was fun to see some of the latest styles and even more fun to cheer on and watch the antics of the celebrity crew. Many people then drove to nearby wonderful Monterey-area restaurants with groups of co-workers and industry friends and, needless to say, a majority ended up in the hotel bar Knuckles for a night cap, or several.

The next morning was kicked off with some incredible bacon, which was part of the tasty buffet breakfast offered with the SanMar educational session. Over 80 distributors enjoyed Holly Rox’s presentation on increasing apparel sales with color and style trends. This session tied directly into the mission of PMANC which is to foster education and collaboration amongst the membership. Nicely done Holly and SanMar!

Onto the heart of the event – the Showcase itself – where over 350 registered distributors converged to meet with over 100 supplier representatives showcasing over 135 product lines. Projects and opportunities were discussed with new comers and savvy veterans in a way that can’t quite be accomplished on the phone or through email. In addition to core products, brand new products, product lines and suppliers new-to-the-show were showcased not only with special identifying signs in the booth but also as a chance to be part of a new products area. Feedback from distributors and suppliers alike suggests that indeed this years’ PMANC trade show and event was a great success: educational, fun, and engaging.

As with any big and successful event like this there were so many people that dedicated time, effort and some of their passion to make this special. Here is a list of some of these volunteers that we are so thankful for…

Ken & Karen Williston (SAAC)

Donte Shannon (SAAC Exec Dir.)

John Oda (Onyx)

Susan Shaw (Starfish Printing)

Rachel Higgins (DoHiggi Promo)

Melanie Fathali (AMG)

Amanda Boccucci (Lahlouh)

Susana Nordeman (Lahlouh)

Tony Lee (Stormtech)

Karina Chavarin (BrandVia)

Stephanie Flowers (BrandVia)

Jodi Spangrud (Company A)

Patrick Kenney (Cairdea)

Kevin Euler (Cairdea)

Regina Munroe (InProma)

Golf Tournament

The 6th annual PMANC Golf Tournament was a huge success with perfect weather; The Pacific Grove Golf Course was in terrific shape. Everyone attended had a great time enjoying the day. The results:

Team Cutter & Buck were the winners with a score of -13 under followed by team Sanmar at -11 under. Diana Fay of Sanmar won the Longest Drive Contest and Tim Higgins won both the Longest Drive and the closest to the pin.PMANC would like thank all of our tee sign sponsors and Volunteers for making this day a success, with a special thank you to our Major Sponsors:

Leeds/Trimark for sponsoring the $10,000 Hole in one contest,

Halo Branded Solutions for Sponsoring the Longest Drive

Howard Miller for the sponsorship of the closest to the hole contest.

I would also like to thank Yvonne Lahlouh, Lahlouh Inc & Sanmar for their sponsorship of the Golf Lunch.

Personally I would like to give a special Thank You to John Oda of Onyx for all his hard work in securing the tee and raffles prizes.

Howard Berman

Golf Chairman

SHOWCASE SPONSORS

PPAI News

May 23 to 27 is Promotional Products Work! (PPW) week, an international grassroots event led by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), Irving, Texas, and the promotional products industry to raise awareness about the benefits of promotional products among advertisers, marketers and media buyers. PPAI will join together with industry distributors, suppliers and stakeholders to launch the campaign with open houses; factory tours; student, business and community group presentations; volunteer support; and promotional product donations to local nonprofits, legislative outreach and hospitality events.

“Our goal is to increase our share in the media buy by enabling a deeper understanding of promotional products as an advertising medium among buyers, as well as sharing the benefits of working with certified promotional products professionals,” said Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI’s president and CEO.

The Product Persona Campaign This year, the PPW! week campaign gives the promotional product a voice through creative storytelling. The campaign’s storytellers—the life saver, the team builder, the ambassador and the motivator—put into perspective the experiential power the promotional product has over its environment and the engagement of those in it. The campaign’s implementation features a multifaceted digital, social and traditional promotional products media outreach and content series utilizing PPAI research and infographics. The business-to-business campaign targets advertisers and media buyers, and is designed to raise awareness, increase traffic to industry websites and drive business to promotional products distributors.

PPAI L.E.A.D. Virtual Fly-inAs an important part of PPW! week, PPAI leadership and industry professionals from across the U.S. will convene May 25 to 26 in Washington, D.C., to participate in the seventh annual PPAI Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.). More than 70 advocates from 30 states will conduct 200-plus meetings with senators, representatives and their legislative staffs on Capitol Hill to discuss pending legislation and issues relevant to the promotional products industry. Thousands more will advocate for the issues by writing letters, emails and social media posts throughout the week during the PPAI L.E.A.D. Virtual Fly-in.

Advocate for the industry by participating in the PPAI L.E.A.D. Virtual fly-in.

Reach out and thank customers.

FUN FACTS

Have you registered to Vote? November will be here before you know it!

Check this out about the value of Promotional Products.

BLANCHESTER, OH (FOX19) -

The presidential primaries have been anything but boring this year with Donald Trump trouncing Republican establishment candidates and a fierce competition that shows no signs of letting up between Democratic contenders Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

As the campaigns move forward, did you know that a local family owned and operated business is behind all of the famous political coffee mugs?

In fact, sales at The Allen Company in Blanchester have predicted the winner in every single presidential race over the past several years.

"The party that buys most with us has won every time. Order more mugs from The Allen Company. If you order early and often, your candidate is gonna win," said Stan Dohan, the company's president and his family's third generation to helm the business.

So far, sales from Trump and Clinton mugs are running about even, he said.

The closer the elections get, the more orders come in. The Allen Company produces about 20,000 per day as the provider of presidential election drinkware, which has to be manufactured in the USA, for Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

The Allen Company maintains a nonpartisan approach to its product.

"It's like Switzerland," Dohan said. "We take the business and do it all, we don't pick sides. When they need them, they need them."

The company also has come out with thousands of Barack Obama mugs.

"It had a photograph of Obama on one side and his birth certificate on the other," Dohan said.

Since 1959, The Allen Company has produced and decorated ceramic, glassware, acrylic, stainless steel, Tritan drinkware and hydration as well as its selection of Camelbak, Blender Bottle and KORwater branded products.

The supplier firm has undergone tremendous growth over the past four years, deals with 8,000 distributors globally and continues to expand.